Shanghai Restaurant 富仔記

★★★★☆ 3.8 (154)

"This Shanghai Restaurant 富仔記 has served me some great meals. That's why I have an upgraded opinion with this updated review.I came here one night looking for some home style dinner. It was cold winter in the middle of the week. I didn't know the closing time but I saw a couple still eating there. I ordered pepper ribs and a bowl of rice. I didn't think of anything but realized the employees are eating... Appeared to be eating dinner as end of their shift. Oh shoot I said. One employee came to me and said, "no hurry. You can stay until you're finished."Wow. So nice. Yeah. I hate to be rushed. It was actually my first-time dining in. I loved the decorations and those home feeling. No wonder it's been featured by Chow Down in Chinatown group many times.For the same reason I recommended my neighbor brought her family to dine here tonight. Because they took good care of me that night."

New Palace Dim Sum & Seafood

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (125) • $$

"What was once the former site for a mediocre Chinese buffet is now the site of one of the city's better dim sum options in New Palace. Opened late last year, the space has been transformed into a lovely establishment and has brought in crowds and long waits ever since. It has also become an easy go-to and a bonafide Cantonese destination.Depending on the crowds, the parking situation can be tight. The first thing one will notice is their koi pond, which despite not being as large as other yumcha banquet halls, is incredibly abundant with fish. The staff will provide free bits of fish food to feed them and it's a hit with children, fun for koi lovers, and a perfect way to pass the time when there's a wait.They've done an excellent job of maximizing the interior. There is ample seating in every direction, good ventilation with TVs galore, and private spaces are available as well. It's very red, which is symbolic of the love for prosperity in Chinese culture.The good news is that the food is very tasty. The noodle dishes, especially the beef chow fun (乾炒牛河) and XO Stir Fried Turnip Cakes (XO炒蘿蔔糕) have great flavor, a nice oily coating, and superb wok hei. The coffee bbq pork (咖啡分叉燒包) buns are definitely unique for the area and worth the order. Some additional hits include their fried taro puff (芋角) glutinous fried dumplings (鹹水角), and very tasty bbq pork puffs (叉燒酥). Their preserved egg and pork congee (皮蛋瘦肉粥) is outstanding and Singaporean stir fried noodle (新加坡炒米粉) is tops in Houston. They have a number of creative dishes, some are a little bit of style over substance (i.e. swan pastries), but I think a majority of their food is definitely A+.The one caveat is that this all comes at a price. Foodflation has been unavoidable since the pandemic and it's clear that a majority of the food served here commands a higher price point. Tea is a separate charge and most items are between $6-11. A handful of orders becomes a triple digit bill very quickly.Service gets a gold star. The staff is mainly Cantonese speaking and they're realistic with the various choices they have and rarely will push something they don't think is worth it. Big groups should consider reserving a table and as always, I would recommend coming before noon for the highest quality versions of anything they have."

Lucky Dragon 龍圖飯店

★★★★☆ 3.8 (71)

"First time here was amazed by the food ! The special order soup is very tasty, the king crab is very well cooked yummy! The 咸鱼肉饼 our favorite! The boss is very kind and nice , the restaurant not big but cozy and very clean , service is very good ! Recommend!"

Simon’s Chinese Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.8 (18)

"My friends catered from here for their event and Simon himself delivered the food. We didn't know what to expect since the restaurant was brand new. He spoke English, Cantonese, and Mandarin which was helpful. The food was boxed well and organized. The hits of the night were the sweet and sour pork and the spicy fried fish filets. I could've ate multiple plates of both those alone. The noodles were a miss, not much flavor. Great food overall!"

Ocean Palace

★★★★☆ 3.6 (650) • $$

"A group of us went to Ocean Palace for Sunday dim sum and practically had to roll out because we were stuffed with so much good food! First off, walking up to the restaurant, you know you are going to have a great meal. The restaurant was massive and reminded me of the banquet hall style ginormous restaurants I've been to in China. It also had a moat in basically the middle of the parking lot for bonus points. The actual dim sum experience was great, they had carts coming around as well as some items you order off the menu. The good part is if you don't see something you want on the cart (or perhaps missed it) you could use the menu to order it! The menu also has pictures if you're new to dim sum. My favorites were the Xiu Mai, the shrimp and chive dumpling, bbq pork buns, and custard buns. They also had wonderful hot tea and Peking duck! We ended up taking some leftovers home but also woke up full the next day. Definitely worth another trip once I'm hungry again!"

Hong Kong's Cafe 香港茶餐廳

★★★★☆ 4 (253) • $

"I know nothing about Hong Kong Style food. Don't quote me on my experience. I have been waiting to dine in at Hong Kong's Cafe for over 3 years. This restaurant was takeout only after restaurant restrictions during later half of Covid pandemic. Prior to that, it was open with limited time and menu. Very hard to match with my schedule. Dining room was opened very recently, as I lost track because it's tucked away at DiHo Square. I came here early this week as I was dodging from the thunderstorm. I wanted some noodles. I have been wanting to try Hong Kong style spaghetti. I tried it in San Francisco Bay Area last year and loved it. So, I ordered Curry Chicken Spaghetti. Oh. My. Gawd. I stared at the dish wondering. I took a photo and a video to share on YouTube. I got so many comments and over 1k views. This is what prompted me to write this review. This is the nastiest food I have ever had. It's consisted of chicken nuggets and french fries dredged in watered-down curry sauce. Spaghetti was over cooked. When I first walked in, waitress asked if I been there before. She would recommend the Peking Duck dish. Because the sign said CASH ONLY, I told her not this time because I had limited funds. After I finished as I walked out, there was a sign say Zelle. Ah, she should had told me earlier. I would had tried the Peking duck. Maybe the experience would be better than what I ordered."

Rice To Meet You

★★★★☆ 4.3 (337) • $$

"Big portion and very reasonable prices for clay pot rice and rice noodle rolls. Highly recommend for a no frills meal (lunch or dinner) with the family. Looking forward to return and try out other dishes. Place was busy when we got there at 7PM but we got seated pretty quick after a ten minute wait. Service was prompt and friendly. Food was good- solid Cantonese style claypot rice and claypot cheung fun. Wish they have more vegetarian options.Will make this place as part of our rotations whenever we find ourselves in Chinatown."

East Wall Chinese Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.1 (428) • $$

"First time here and it was for dinner with some Yelp friends. There was 12 of us in total, with that being said the wait staff took amazing care of us. From refilling drinks, serving dishes and just being attentive, we never had to look for anyone to help us. This establishment does allow BYOB. Sadly I can not remember the names of all the dishes everything was amazing and was a mixture of so many great flavors. A few dishes that really stood out for me was the Duck for sure. Perfectly cooked and tender! The lobster was another dish that made its presence known! Lobster had a great buttery, garlic taste. The last dish that really surprised me was the shrimp and eggs. It looked pretty simple as it's just scrambled eggs with shrimp but the flavor profile was unbelievable. It was one of the dishes I kept getting more of. I'm ready to go back and try some more dishes!"

Chef Chan's the Original

★★★★☆ 4 (83) • $$

"Why 4 stars? Because this was one of the better Chinese spots in the area that we've tried. --- --- --- We moved to the area about a year and a half ago and have yet to find a Chinese restaurant as good as the one we used to visit frequently when we lived in Tampa. While one visit here definitely did not make us forget about the Tampa spot, I definitely think Chef Chan's has the potential to become our go-to for Chinese.My wife was nearby, so I placed a pickup order that she brought home. Despite that, our beef lo mein, pork fried rice and meat stuffed fried wonton curry were all enjoyable, but probably a step or so down from the aforementioned mecca.There are tons of appealing menu items that I want to try here and we will definitely return in the future to make our way through the menu."

Shanghai Restaurant 東雲閣

★★★★☆ 3.5 (102)

"Came here for the first time. We ordered pork and shrimp shiu mai, crystal shrimp dumpling, steamed beef ball with dried tofu, bean curd pork roll with black bean, shrimp and scallop dumpling, steamed egg bean curd, fried spring roll, pan fried flat noodle with beef, and the Chinese style fried string donut. The shiu mai and bean curd pork roll were delicious. The pan fried noodles was amazing and super flavorful. The steamed egg and everything else was mediocre and ok. Their restroom is disgusting. Pee all over the toilet seat and mop water all over the floor and the carpet was super soaked. Overall, very pricey for ok tasting food.Staff is friendly and fast. Lots of parking."

Arco Seafood Restaurant 東海海鮮酒家

★★★★☆ 3.5 (249) • $$

"So many people recommended Arco Seafood Restaurant 东海海鲜酒家 for a fancy dinner setting. Before I bring people here, I need to check it out myself.On my first visit, I ordered a Cordyceps Flower Pork Ribs Soup 虫草花排骨汤, egg tarts 蛋挞, soupy dumplings 小笼汤包 and a pot of chrysanthemum tea 菊花茶. Egg tarts were warm and flaky. I believe they were freshly baked. Soup was very flavorful and it had tender pork chunks. Dumplings got me wonder. The shape was like small pointy hats. And, the wrap was doughy and kind thick for me. I can taste the soup as I bit into them. But I can't produce the flow to show you.In my honest opinion, Arco has the top-of-the-line seafood dim sum variety. Normally, you can get dim sum for $15 per person on the average in Chinatown. But the quality and experience are noticeably different.To bring my friends to a new restaurant, I pay close attention to details. First stop, I visited the WC (vocabulary for wash closet in Hong Kong). The restroom was clean and feel more luxurious than other restaurants in Chinatown. Then, the décor has a close resemblance of a traditional Hong Kong dim sum restaurant. Finally, I looked around for customers expressions. They all seem to enjoy the food, because I did.On my second visit, I ordered from the Dim Sum Menu. I was really curious about Salted Egg Custard Bun 流沙包 and Rice Noodle Roll w/Abalone Sauce 鲍鱼肠粉; I also ordered the jumbo abalone chicken clay pot soup from daily special menu as recommended by the waitress on my first visit. Ok. abalone was not big, but the soup was fantastic. It sure worth my $13.95. Custard bun was out the steamer. So, the filling was really hot, salty, sweet and runny. Rice Noodles was fresh but the sauce barely coated every surface. Because of the freshness and common interest of the other dishes, I decided to host my first party here. It was a very memorable one. Because Arco has the dishes that people are familiar with and they are made fresh. Service was pretty good. I am still learning their names. My favorite waitress is 阿珍 and I'll be sure to ask for her next time."

House of Bowls 金大碗

★★★★☆ 4.1 (900)

"Apart from both coasts and Canada (#1), Hong Kong style cafes aren't really much of a thing in any part of the country. Houston is fortunate to have at least a few dedicated places that fit the bill, but House of Bowls might be the most legit of them all. Known as 金大碗 ("Golden Big Bowl") to the locals, they have become one of the neighborhood's most frequented establishments where the food and service shine brightest.On their busiest days, parking can be a challenge. Sandwiched in a small'ish lot shared with several other popular businesses, House of Bowls doesn't have the luxury of parking spaces that the other neighboring plazas can offer, despite being the most spacious business in the building. They have a number of dedicated large tables and have a steady flow of patrons doing takeout or dining in. It's mainly a local crowd, which is always super promising.The menu for the place is extensive, with many of the dishes that are definitely cha chaan tang (茶餐廳) appropriate. The HK-style milk tea and lemon teas are near perfection and I am especially impressed with their condensed milk, peanut butter western toast (連奶花生醬西多士) and especially love that it's floating in syrup and melted butter. If anything, I wish it were larger but I guess that's as HK as it gets (#2).They offer a lot of the sai chaan (西餐) classics that include macaroni, baked rice, instant noodles, congee, egg tarts, and even chicken wings. The latter is one of their best sellers, with my favorite being their garlic salt and pepper wings. I don't even really love wings much but I am tearing it up each time I'm there.Their other super popular dishes are the house spaghetti, which is on the sweeter side and comes with a mosh of meats with a fried egg on top. Equally indulgent is their beef chow fun (乾炒牛河) but the added soft egg and shrimp is a real treat. The seafood here is good overall and it's an ideal environment for plate sharing and family style.If there was a downside to anything, it's the prices. Some of their shrimp/fish dishes are $20 each, even if the majority of the dish is noodle. The bright side is that their service is one of my favorite aspects of the experience. Most of the staff is super multilingual, speaking Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, and English with customers. I've been very impressed with all of them and their smile-first, friendly attitudes.I do think this is one of the best spots in all of Bellaire Chinatown. Some folks might not find the HK-fare-laden menu all that impressive, but all things considered, I think this is the best place for it in H-town.__________(#1) And obviously, Hong Kong.(#2) Portions are always smaller in the motherland."

Dim Sum King 點心皇

★★★★☆ 3.5 (525) • $$

"We came to Chinatown to run some errands and ended up in this parking lot. We walked around saw this spot was busy and gave it a try. The restaurant is tucked in a weird alleyway and to your right side. The interior of the restaurant is pretty old fashioned and people and tables are packed in there like sardines. I'm sure it appeals to some people but I'm personally a bigger fan of personal space. Service was very slow; we waited at the front for 5 minutes before we got sat down. They don't have the dim sum cart here so it's order off the menu. We ordered a bunch off the menu; most of the items we ordered were below average and slightly bland and doughy. My least favorite was the fried taro balls. The BBQ pork noodles/doughy item was the best tasting. The pork ribs were alright but again, the flavor was bland. Their char Siu buns was very light on the meat and heavy on the dough. Everything else was a bit bland for me; it was below par compared to anything I've had at Fung's and I got told during lunch that HK Dimsum was better. Price wise, it wasn't cheap either by any means; $50 for a lunch for two... not impressed!"

Crown Seafood Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.5 (374) • $$

"Between all the heavy hitters in the dim sum scene in H-Town, Crown Seafood is often mentioned as the local's choice for its massive banquet dining hall and old school push carts (weekend only) showcasing a solid variety of items. I don't mind coming here, but I've yet to be impressed with the food. For me, it's a 3 star spot until further notice.With high ceilings, bright lights, and the dizzying array of round tables, it's easy to see why this is a preferred option for big groups. Every day there's a decent crowd, but the waits tend to be more of a thing on the weekends. Bathrooms are not great, so approach with caution.The novelty of push cart dim sum is a bigger thing in the west than it is in a place like Hong Kong. Back in the motherland, the idea of food sitting out on cart for X amount of time has become unappealing, thus many restaurants have opted for the a la carte / check box on paper menu format instead. I think the former applies in this scenario as some of the items just feel like they've been sitting out a little too long.There are some decent items that solid in a pinch. Namely the very plump shrimp siu mai (蝦燒賣), lotus leaf glutinous rice (糯米雞), a crunchy glutinous fried pork dumpling (鹹水角), and a very hearty sweet cream bun (奶黃包). The rest has either a little too much breading (bbq pork bun), or overly thick skin (such as the shrimp dumplings), or is very plain (egg tarts).I will say their dinner service is more optimal for me, since their platters are huge and the noodles, vegetables (especially the stir fried pea shoots), and steamed fish / lobster preparation gets an A for effort. The only downside is that they're closed by 8pm practically every night. Prices aren't as high as their nearby competition, but the other places usually have better service and ambiance. Crown's service can be a flop at times when it comes to being tended to, but it's likely they're just simply understaffed. Speaking Cantonese is not necessarily a guarantee here either, but seeing as every person on the wait staff speaks something, be it Mandarin or Vietnamese or English, it's usually enough to appease the many folks coming here on the daily."

Wing Kee

★★★★☆ 3.7 (195) • $

"Wow! Hands down the best roasted pork that I have ever had! So crispy, fatty, and salty! The duck is great too!"

Fung's Kitchen

★★★★☆ 3.6 (985) • $$

"I have always thought this is a cool, exterior restaurant when driving by. Little did I know, it's been around for a long long time but shut down for about 2 years due to a fire. Not sure how it was prior pandemic but the interior is clean, modern, yet still keep that OG Asian style vibe restaurant. By the way, they offer valet but you don't have to. Find any parking spaces open and park your car! If you do decide to valet, I heard it's only $3 (plus tip).In order to get check in, you must go to the self-serve kiosk by the front desk. It's passed the wall of alcohol so don't be afraid to walk in and pass the front foyer! Once your table is ready, you will get a text message and you walk back to the front desk, towards the end (a step further than where the kiosk is) and let the person know.I came here strictly for their push-cart Cantonese style dim sum but intrigue to dine-in for lunch/dinner. I'm glad I came here on CNY. The food are delicious and comparable to Northeast dim sum that I grew up eating! It taste healthier. I can taste the quality, especially in seafood - not as oily and salty as typical Chinese dim sum restaurants. If you ever had dim sum in Canada, you will taste the difference - that healthier taste, made with better ingredients. I do wish they had the crab claw or baby clams with black bean sauce at the standup station. Har gow, shu mai, shu mai with shrimp only, shrimp rice roll with sweet soy sauce, steamed cha sui bao, chicken feet, and pork (usually not my favorite) were all delicious. Coconut bunny jelly and tofu dessert are great choices to end dim sum on a semi-sweet note.If anyone bothers to visit me here in Houston, I'll be taking my family and friends here for dim sum. With that said, it is quite expensive and you don't know the prices till your bill comes. For two people, it's about $85 (excluding tip) and that's me not over-ordering like usual."

House of Bowls

★★★★☆ 4.1 (896)

R House

★★★★☆ 3.6 (178)

"It may not look like much from the outside and rarely has more than a few tables filled at the time, but trust that R House has plenty to offer. Their no nonsense approach to Cantonese fare is solid in a pinch and the prices are a notch below the rest of the competition. Combined with the honey service and divey vibes, this is the kind of Chinatown spot that I've come to appreciate.Another reason to love it? They're usually open late. I am typically here in the wee hours and appreciate the fact they have enough tables for big groups and then some. There is almost zero ambiance to speak of, but rest assured no one is coming for that. They also should not be utilizing those restrooms unless completely desperate. (#1)The food lineup has a few hits that I can recommend comfortably: scrambled shrimp with egg, a mean peking pork chop, salt and pepper tofu, a delightfully greasy beef chow fun, and a tasty seafood yee-fu noodle. Their array of congee choices are definitely among their specialties, none of which are better than the renowned century egg and pork. Everything else is a complete gamble and should not be ordered unless the staff recommends it. (#2)The staff is multilingual with English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and some Viet with a Teochew twang. They love cash over card but will accept it happily. I noticed their takeout game is always on point and would recommend going this route unless one has time to kill. Best times to come are during lunch and late night after 10pm.___________(#1) You've been warned.(#2) This is a rule that should be applied to all establishments."

Chung Wang BBQ

★★★★☆ 3.9 (224)

"The restaurant reminds me of a small cafeteria with limited seating. The restaurant smells so good when I opened the door. I got hungrier. I had the double meat portion of roast duck on rice, and chicken and char siu on rice. The meats were fragrant, tender, and juicy. The portions were generous. Sharing is a good idea, but why share the good food when you can have all for yourself? Service was good, and staff were friendly. Will come back again for more yummy food."

Regal Seafood House & Lounge

★★★★☆ 3.6 (69) • $$

"Dim sum is way better than their regular menu. Chinese broccoli (5/5) I love how they stir fry steam it with minced garlic making this dish more flavorful.Steam roll shrimp (5/5) - I love how soft the flour is Spare ribs (4/5)Tripe ginger (4/5)Shu Mai (5/5)Shrimp dumplings (5/5)Friend shrimp dumplings (5/5)Taro cake (4/5)Overall, dim sum here is so good. A little pricey than other place but the portion are bigger."

Confucius Seafood Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (638) • $$

"Best cheap Chinese more authentic food. We went during Xmas super early before the crowd rush and wait around 5pm.Quick service. Borderline hole in the wall but well kept enough.Waitresses are nice Asian establishment standards iykyk.Greens were awesome. Wish the portions were a lil more but that's abt it. Clams are clammy fyi. Can't go wrong. They have.l a good reputation for years. Especially for their lobster special. We don't eat lobster but you can try."